Long vs. Short – Which Is Better for Writing Blog Posts? [Infographic]

How long should a blog post be? Ask a dozen bloggers this question, and you’re liable to get a dozen different answers. Some will answer enigmatically (“As long as it needs to be.”) while others may break out the calculus and try to prove mathematically that 527 words is the optimal length for posts.

Personally, I think length should be pretty low on your list of priorities when you’re writing a blog post. If you can get in, make your point, and get out in 200 words, then rock on, Wynonna! If you need more words to engage your audience or make your point, then you should feel free to use them. But if you’re writing your post to reach some magical word count, you’re likely to end up with content that’s either too terse or that is really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really padded.

That said, the Fairy Blog Mother has put together this nifty infographic comparing the benefits of long and short blog posts. Both formats have their strengths—long posts are great for SEO and for providing in-depth info, while short posts are better at capturing and engaging casual readers.

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About Chris Irby

I've spent most of my professional life as a writer, editor, and intolerable pedant. Fortunately, Dex Media has given me a way to channel these abilities constructively. As Manager of Digital Content, I work with the rest of the Marketing team to make sure our online content is accurate, engaging, and current.